Buttons hold things together, like shirts, pants, and purses. My dad collected buttons because collecting runs in our family. 

My grandfather collected stories and songs.

My mother collected people, both human and dolls.

My brother collected bits and pieces of throwaways and spare change.

One sister collects everything Asian, another collects Native American artifacts and the third one collects money (stocks and bonds – all kinds of money). 

I just collect.

My father collected all these and more. Stamps, advertisements, coins, books, maps, histories and anything else that piqued his curiosity came into the house and stayed there.